The invention relates to a data card unit with means for automatically transporting data cards between an insertion/removal position and a reading/writing position, a carrier provided with a guide assigned to the data cards being provided, a motor-actuated transporting shaft reaching into the movement space of the data cards and means by which an insertion opening of the data card unit can be closed being provided.
With a data card unit of this type it is intended to avoid the possibility of the data transmission between a data acquisition device and a data card being disturbed with fraudulent intent. For example, to avoid a data card being briefly pulled out and inserted again during the data transmission or to avoid the electrical contact of a data card being interrupted by foils or electrically conductive material being inserted into the data card unit. On the other hand, the closing of the access opening of the data card unit is necessary if there is a relatively high risk of soiling in the operating environment of the data card unit or the device in which the data card unit is installed.
Requirements of this type for a data card unit exist, for example, when acquiring travel data in motor vehicles in which the drivers are assigned data cards provided with semiconductor memories, which serve for the driver-related storage of at least the working times and rest times. In this case, the data card unit may be integrated in a tachograph or arranged as an autonomous unit in the dashboard of a motor vehicle. In any event, it must be arranged within reach of the drivers, where there is a considerable risk of soiling and lack of space.